Tea and the Dumbing-Down Monster

Eight-year-old Tea’s life has been turned completely upside down. Her parents have separated, and Tea has moved with her father into a new, dreary home. The moving boxes are still unpacked, the toilet won’t flush properly, and there’s no point keeping a video blog when her father won’t let her publish it. Besides, ever since the separation, her father has had the world’s longest cold, and snotty tissues are everywhere—absolutely everywhere! Tea is bored and lonely. But, unexpectedly, she finds some strange new friends among the moving boxes: Mummy Cat, who dreams of embalming; Ghost Poo, who smells a little funny; and Bitey Shark, whose tail the dog has taken a bite out of. Huh, could someone else still be hiding among the moving boxes? Indeed: the Dumbing-Down Monster, who feasts on miserable and silly feelings! Tea and the Dumbing-Down Monster is a grand adventure play about the transformative power of imagination and friendship. A performance where every feeling—all of them—can be seen and felt. A performance where no one is left alone, and fears are faced together!

Premiere: 12 September 2026
Small Stage

Playwright: Salla Viikka
Adaptation: Emma Mattila, Minna Harjuniemi
Direction: Emma Mattila, Minna Harjuniemi
Set and costume design: Tiina Hauta-aho
Lighting design: Harri Peltonen
Music and sound design: Tatu Virtamo
Make-up design: Eija Nurminen
Cast: Saana Hyvärinen, Anna Kuusamo, Teemu Palosaari, Mikko Pörhölä, Aki Raiskio
Photo: Raana Lehtinen
Running time: 1 hr 45 min, including an interval
Recommended for ages 6 and up.
Performance rights: Nordic Drama Corner Oy

Please note the relaxed performances: Sat 3 October at 13:00 and Sat 14 November at 13:00. Explore and print the Viewing Keys and picture script!